IIID Public Library

idX
Core Competencies
What information designers
know and can do

Coordination: IIID
page 3
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 Information Design: Core Competencies
What information designers know and can do

idX Development of International Core Competencies

and Student and Faculty Exchange in Information
Design
within the EU/US Cooperation Program in Higher
Education and Vocational Education and Training

2007-08-31

idX project partners and their representatives

Suggested Set of Core Competencies
in Information Design
University Course in Information Design
and Student and Faculty Exchange in Information Design
idX Development of International Core Competencies

IDU / Information Design University

Special Interest Group (SIG) for Information Design
Educators
IIID Partner Universities
The International Institute for Information Design
IIID Board Members

 
 idX project partners and their representatives

Overall co-ordination: International Institute for Information Design (IIID)

Peter Simlinger, Dipl.-Ing.
Palffygasse 27/17
1170 Wien/Vienna
Austria, Europe
E: info@iiid.net
T: +43 (0)1 4036662
F: +43 (0)1 4036662-15

Project partners EU: Bauhaus Universität Weimar

Faculty of Art and Design
Visual Communications
Prof. Jay Stephen Rutherford
Marienstraße 1a
99423 Weimar
Germany
E: jay.rutherford@gestaltung.uni-weimar.de
T: +49 (0)3643 58 33 61
F: +49 (0)3643 58 33 73
 
Mälardalen University
Department of Innovation, Design and Product Development
Information Design
Box 325
631 05 Eskilstuna
Sweden
Lennart Strand, Assistant Professor / Senior Lecturer
E: lennart.strand@mdh.se
T1: +46 16 15 5152
T2: +46 70 26 87 504
F: +46 16 15 36 50
Rune Pettersson, Ph.D., Professor of Information Design
E: runepe@telia.com
T: +46 16 15 36 99
F: +46 16 15 36 10

Utrecht School of the Arts

Faculty of Art, Media & Technology
Prof. Drs. Jeroen van Mastrigt
P.O. Box 2471
1200 CL Hilversum
The Netherlands
E: jeroen.vanmastrigt@kmt.hku.nl
T: +31 35 6836464
F: +31 35 6836480
 Project partners USA: Columbia College Chicago
Art & Design Department
Prof. Kay Hartmann
600 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago
IL 60605-1996
USA
E: k.hartmann@comcast.net
T: +1 312 344 7641
F: +1 312 3448025
 
University of Idaho (Lead partner USA)
Department of Art and Design
College of Art and Architecture
P.O. Box 442471
Moscow
ID 838444-2471
USA
Prof. Jill Dacey
E: jdacey@uidaho.edu
T: +1 208 885 6750
F: +1 208 885 9428
Prof. Frank Cronk
E: fcronk@uidaho.edu
T1: +1 208 885 5020 office
T2: +1 208 885 6851 dept
F: +1 208 885 9428

Wayne State University

Department of Art and Art History
Prof. Judith A. Moldenhauer
150 Art Building
Detroit
MI 48202
USA
E: judith.moldenhauer@gmail.com
T1: +1 313 9938165 office
T2: +1 313 5772980 dept
F: +1 313 5773491 dept
 idX Development of International Core Competencies
and Student and Faculty Exchange in Information Design
The idea for what became idX was suggested by Prof. Jill Dacey at the “Infodesign
ed 2002” conference at Reading University, GB (September 2002). Jill referred to the
opportunity to get a grant of the EU/US Cooperation Program in Higher Education
and Vocational Education and Training for a proposal to be submitted to the European
Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture and, in parallel, in the
USA to FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) until 28 March
2003. We invited all schools that were IIID members and/or had sent representatives
to Reading. The following universities responded positively:

• Bauhaus Universität Weimar, Germany

• Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden
• Utrecht School of the Art, Hilversum, The Netherlands
• University of Idaho, Moscow, USA
• Columbia College Chicago, USA
• Wayne State University, Detroit, USA.

The necessary paper work was completed, submitted, and funded. Project partners
agreed on the acronym idX for “Development of International Core Competencies and
Student and Faculty Exchange in Information Design”.

The group had set out to develop a model curriculum. However, it became clear that,
due to the grown cultures and specific environments of the participating universities,
it would be next to impossible to harmonize their curricula as originally envisaged.
Nevertheless, partners felt that universities open to taking on new challenges, and
ready to add information design to their programs, might like to learn from the curri-
culum developed in 1998 for Technikum Joanneum, now FH Joanneum, Graz, Austria.
 A modified version of it, squeezed into the three-year baccalaureate model, is annexed 
to the outcome of the group’s considerations.

Graduates of such a course, interested in engaging in further studies, would be

advised to continue their education with a Masters course in one of the specialised
information design subject areas. Such would have a focus on education, health care
communication, financial information, traffic guiding systems, public transport infor-
mation, inclusive information design, tourist information, etc.

The prime concern of the idX group was on defining “information design core compe-
tencies”. The group developed a document and handed it over to a panel of advisors
in November 2006. Partly positive, partly negative responses were received from:
• Prof. Per Mollerup (Norwegian Academy of Arts, Oslo, and Mollerup Design Lab A/S,
Frederiksberg, DK)
• Prof. Dwayne Overmyer (University of Michigan, USA)
• Prof. David Sless (Communication Research Institute, Melbourne, AUS)
• Robert Waller (Enterprise IDU, Newport-Pagnell, GB)
• Richard Saul Wurman (Newport, RI, USA)

The constructive comments from the advisors prompted the idX group to change its
approach. Instead of trying to describe the essence of information design, the idX
group put the focus on the requirements of the Diploma Supplement, which is based
on the outcome of efforts of a Joint European Commission – Council of Europe –
UNESCO working party undertaken in the spirit of the “Bologna Process”.

The idX group related to first hand information given by experts at Transatlantic
Education and Training Conferences of the EU/US FIPSE grantee programs in Lisbon
(December 2003) and, in a much more extensive way, in Washington (November
2004). These experts made the idX group aware of the need to precisely state in the
Diploma Supplement what students know and can do after graduation.
 It became clear to the mem-
bers of the idX groups that the
requirements of the Diploma
Supplement were key to the for-
mulation of information design
core competencies and rela-
ted educational requirements.

On the practical side, the idX

partners organized the ex-
change of students and facul-
ty across the Atlantic. Sub-
sequently, exchange student
Lisbon confernce:
evaluations revealed that the rather theoretical approach of European universities in
EU officials of the Directorate-
the first two years would be in contrast to the more performance-orientated program
General for Education and
of US universities. They also became aware of the enrichment, both educationally and
Culture
culturally, gained by students who had participated in the exchange and their enthusi-
asm for the experience.

(Nearly) all students on ex-

change in a given year also
participated in the related IIID
Summer Academies, the first
held in 2005 at the Free Uni-
versity of Bozen/Bolzano and
the second in 2006 at Colum-
 bia College Chicago. 

Based on insights gained Prof.

Rune Pettersson and Lennard
Strand (Mälardalen University),
together with Prof. Judith
Concluding idX meeting at
Moldenhauer (Wayne State University), initiated a Special Interest Group (SIG) for In-
Bezau, Austria, 8 July 2007:
formation Design Educators. The SIG was inaugurated at the 2007 IIID symposium
Peter Simlinger (IIID), Kay
Vision Plus 12 at Schwarzenberg, Vorarlberg, Austria. One of the aims of this SIG is the
Hartmann (Columbia College
continuing promotion of student exchange across the Atlantic and beyond.
Chicago), Frank Cronk (Univer-
sity of Idaho), Lennart Strand
Representatives of Mälardalen University also took on the challenge of developing a
(Mälardalen University), Norbert
forum for the academic advancement of information design: they founded the IDU /
van Geijn (Utrecht School of
Information Design University to make information design modules available for distance
the Arts), Jill Dacey (University
learning and to promote outstanding information design literature. All universities that
of Idaho), Judith Moldenhauer
are IIID institutional members are invited to become partners in this initiative.
(Wayne State University), Jay
Rutherford (Bauhaus-Universität
The idX group is proud to be able to present in this publication their “Core Competen-
Weimar)
cies”, the (Model) Curriculum, the SIG for Information Design Educators, the IDU, an
overview of IIID university partners (IIID institutional members) and a list of those who
have taken on a function in the IIID Board.

We hope that this publication will stimulate further discussions and international co-
operation for the advance of information design education at the university level.

Peter Simlinger Prof. Jill Dacey

International Institute for Information Design (IIID) University of Idaho
idX project coordinator idX US lead partner
 Suggested Set of Core Competencies in Information Design

The following Suggested Set of Core Competencies in Information Design were

developed by the idX group in accordance with the set of guidelines established by
the Bologna Process for degree transparency and the required “Diploma Supplement”.
(See Appendix for information on the Diploma Supplement.)

What graduates know and can do after How graduates attain their design competence
completion of their studies
Graduates attain their design competence through a mix
What graduates know: of instructions/lectures, project work, and practical expe-
rience gained through internships.
1. The theories and methods which govern the design
and interpretation of information (methodical and Project work is indispensable for acquiring competence
theoretical dimension of information design core com- in information design concerning
petencies). • problem definition
• skills
2. All relevant facts and tools for qualified professional • media and information technology
activities in the field (Practical dimension of informa- • development of interaction processes
tion design core competencies): • evaluation procedures
– the properties which constitute effective information • project management.
– the facts, tools and skills needed for the
structuring,rendering and applying of information Project work during the course of studies begins with a
 – the capabilities of information and communication focus on simple tasks to be performed in familiar envi- 
technologies ronments and progresses to complex tasks involving un-
– the related insights gained through research done in known users performing in a multitude of work conditions.
the field of cognitive and social sciences
– existing conventions and applicable legislation and Project work makes it possible to procure important
standards knowledge in a task-related way. This concerns
– the implications of business management • strategies of thinking and creativity
• relevant laws and regulations
3. The social demands underlying successful profes- • clarity in expression and rendering
sional practice (Social dimension of information • appropriate presentation of results
design core competencies). • fluency in native language and English.

What graduates can do:
Graduates can design quality information and information
systems by creating relationships between people and
information and by providing evidence that the informa-
tion is accessible and usable to an agreed high standard.
The areas in which information designers become active
may include education, health and financial services,
transport and tourism. These depend on high qual-
ity information and information systems. Information
designers may contribute in leading positions to informa-
tion-based development strategies, Internet supported
services, product interfaces, instruction guides, signage
systems, forms, bills, and scientific information visualiza-
tion.
Working outside of the institution in an internship in the
information design industry in the second half of the
study period is strongly recommended.
How information designers design information and
develop information systems.
Methodical and theoretical dimension of information
design core competencies
Information Designers
– Identify the goal(s) to be met and tasks to be per-
formed.
– Define the user(s), either through appropriate methods,
such as observation, interviews, and development of
personas.
– Compose the information using verbal, pictorial, acous-
tic, haptic and/or olfactory elements, which they
 shape, and structure according to principles of cogni- Definitions of Terms
tive and perceptual psychology.
– Pay due regard to the media and reproduction/distribu- Information
tion processes to be employed within an existing or to For the purpose of this document, the idX group accepts
be developed communication infrastructure. the following definition:
– Integrate feedback.
– Document the information elements, the objects to Information is the result of processing, manipulating and
which they refer, the processes involved and the organizing data in a way that adds to the knowledge of
respective responsibilities of those who have to safe- the person receiving it.
guard the production and maintenance of related mate-
rials and systems. High quality information
– Initiate the testing of use and usability, evaluate the In many cases, information designers will only succeed
test results and refine the information accordingly. in designing high quality information if the information to
– Assist clients with implementing and with performance- be designed is part of an information chain.
focused monitoring of the information.
– Provide information on the value dimension of mea- The suggested attributes* of high quality are:
sured results. – Accessible – Interpretable
– Appropriate – Objective
– Attractive – Relevant
Elements used by information designers. – Believable – Timely
– Complete – Secure
Practical dimension of information design core compe- – Concise – Understandable
tencies – Errorless – Valuable

Information designers must have knowledge of: *Adapted from Wang, Richard Y. and Diane M. Strong.
• Materials Beyond Accuracy: What Data Quality Means to Data
 • Media production techniques Consumers. Journal of Management Information 
• Ergonomics Systems. Vol. 12 No. 4, Spring 1996, pp 5–33.
• Hardware and Software
• Business Communications
• Two and three-dimensional composition
• Professional writing
• Typography Appendix
• Diagramming
• Multimedia and web authoring Diploma Supplement Model
• Project management
• Negotiation skills. The Diploma Supplement model was developed by the
European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/
CEPES.
Social demands on the professional practice of
information designer. The purpose of the supplement is to provide sufficient
independent data to improve the international ‘transpar-
Social dimension of information design core competencies ency’ and fair academic and professional recognition of
qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates etc.). It is
The social dimension of information design consists of designed to provide a description of the nature, level,
five essential principles: context, content and status of the studies that were pur-
Politics, Position, Parsimony, Politeness, Performance. sued and successfully completed by the individual named
Sless, David. Theory for Practice. IIID Vision Plus on the original qualification to which this supplement is
Monograph 12 E/D. 1997. Presented at Vision Plus 3, appended. It should be free from any value judgements,
10–12 July 1997, Schwarzenberg, Austria. equivalence statements or suggestions about recognition.

Information in all eight sections should be provided.

Where information is not provided, an explanation should
give the reason why.

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/
recognition/diploma_en.html#
 University Course in Information Design
by Peter Simlinger
based on the reasoning behind the “Fachhochschul-Studiengang Informations-Design”, devel-
oped by Peter Simlinger with the assistance of a team of experts for Technikum Joanneum,
Graz, Austria, 1998, and updated by him under consideration of insights gained since then
and adjusted to the “Suggested Set of Core Competencies in Information Design” elaborated
by the idX group, 2007.
Thankful acknowledgement: Prof. Jay Rutherford, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, for translations

Preamble

It’s the “new media”, which more than anything else prompted the development of infor-
mation design. However, to deal with the possibilities and demands of the new media,
we must acquire competencies quite independent of them. Terry Winograd, Stanford
University, may be quoted: “The majority of today’s students will not be working in a
world bounded by current familiar examples. They will design interactions that move
beyond the desktop and even beyond the extended desk-
tops of PDAs and wall-sized whiteboards. The human-
Information computer interface of the future will not be perceived as
is the result of processing, manipulating and organizing the interface to a computer, but as a pervasive part of
data in a way that adds to the knowledge of the person the environment we all inhabit.” (4)
receiving it. (1)
Since “the environment we all inhabit” presents itself
Design three-dimensionally, we cannot restrict ourselves to
is the identification of a problem and the intellectual paper or the computer screen.
 creative effort of an originator, manifesting itself in draw- 
ings or plans, which include schemes and specifications.
(2)
Information design in social context
Information Design
is the defining, planning, and shaping of the contents of Equipped with the appropriate expertise based on practi-
a message and the environments in which it is cal, methodical and social competencies the information
presented, with the intention of satisfying the information designer will have “the right stuff” to become one of
needs of the intended recipients. (3) the key professionals of the future. The quality concept
of the virtual enterprise (5), geared to customer and
employee relations, suits him well. The philosophy: it is
much easier to keep existing customers (or employees)
than to gain new ones. And: one loses customers (and
employees) only when they have reason to be dis-
satisfied. Customers and employees alike want to be
informed and to feel a part of a community with shared
values. And if they feel they are welcome in such a com-
munity that listens to their concerns and gives them an
opportunity to contribute to improvements they recipro-
cate with dedicated loyalty.

Ever more frequently, the idea of making the customer a

partner moves to centre-stage in company philosophies.
Philips (Royal Philips Electronics N.V., one of the largest
electronics companies in the world) had compressed this
to a slogan: “Let‘s make things better!”

Information designers identify and optimize task-related

information required by both customers and employees.

This, however, is easier said than done. In the course

of development of the “Fachhochschul-Studiengang
Informations-Design” for Technikum Joanneum, Graz,
 interviews were held to investigate the needs of the
regional industry with employment opportunities for
graduates.
A representative of a world-wide successful company*
stated: “When we wish to bring a product to market,
and the development engineer has done his job, our
problems begin: how do we explain the product in sales
documents, how do we explain operation and mainte-
nance, how do we create Manuals and Help-Desks?”
The representative of another company**, no less well
known as an international market leader, has an answer:
“We hire specialists which we found after a long search
in Kiel in Northern Germany. When we need the same in
English, we get help from experts in Atlanta in the United
States”.
The development of information products is becoming
ever more complex. Designers with interdisciplinary
competence who are able to achieve user-friendly
results are sought-after around the world.
Designing means planning and developing. What the
design profession is able to bring about is clear to any-
one who has had first hand experience with design pro-
cesses. For these people, the future of the world econ-
 omy stands or falls with design. Thinkers like Edward
de Bono demand: “The word ‘design’ should be a very
important word because it covers all aspects of putting
things together to achieve an effect.” (6)
The industrial age gave rise to industrial design.
The information age gives rise to information design.
An article in Business Week magazine in 1996 expressed
what differentiates the contemporary interpretation of
design from previous impressions. Arnold Amstutz of
Citibank Private Bank referred to this in his presentation
“Customer-driven Design” at the “1996 Strategic Design
Conference”, run by the American Center for Design in
Chicago. He said, “They were talking about the Industrial
Society of America Awards and they said that America is
coming back to the cutting edge of design. Well, that‘s
encouraging. But what was really fascinating to me is
what they said about why. They said: Americans are pio-
neering a major shift from designing a single product to
designing the whole process of product innovation and
development. And I would submit that the key thing that
we see happening is that it is no longer a single process
– from one point in time to the end and then you start
over – but that it is rather becoming an iterative process
with change cycles as short as three weeks. And they
pointed out a third thing that I found interesting and that
was: that the Awards illustrated the interactive design
factor which is making the US edge real.” (7)
* Ing. Heinrich Schönmaier, Marketing-Services, KNAPP Logistik Automation GmbH
** Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Michael Paulweber, Development for Test Bed Automation and Control Systems, AVL LIST GmbH
Any remaining doubts about the relevance of such state-
ments to the profession of information design were put
to rest by Ann Senechal in the Spring 1997 edition of
“Adobe Magazine”: “It‘s all in the PROCESS. Information
design isn‘t necessarily about databases, spreadsheets,
or even infographics. It‘s about process – designers and
clients working together to solve problems and convey
complex information through design systems that are
functional and beautiful.” (8)
The information age, “new independents”, and
knowledge transfer
The process of rapid change, enhanced through evolving
technologies, including those in the realm of information
and communication, leads up to societal transforma-
tions. New professions appear for which there exist no
educational opportunities.
In addition, many people practice several occupations in
parallel. (9)
There may be various reasons for this:
1. They like the variety.
2. They want to increase their independence and
maximize their income.
3. Available positions are part-time only. 
For the same reasons, many people change jobs with
astounding regularity. (10)
There are no signs that the indicated changes have
come to a halt.
Developments like the mentioned ones often result in the
need to train and retrain. This is often done in an autodi-
dactic manner.
Information designers facilitate knowledge transfer
by making information (supplied by those who know)
accessible and understood (by those who don’t know,
but aspire to know). They do it by considering the task-
related and goal-oriented purpose of the information. To
Richard Saul Wurman this should lead up to processes
which empower motivated people to accomplish some-
thing which they otherwise would not have been able to
achieve. “Empowerment is what enables employees to
go beyond the instructions they are given.” (11)
Without knowledge transfer there is no effective learning
of how to cope with challenges of assigned or desired
tasks, such as those encountered in a new business
situation, when moving around in a country where people
speak a language different from one’s own, when trying
to use unfamiliar means of public transport, or wanting
to operate an unfamiliar apparatus.
 The Occupational Field of Information Design

It is the same with information as it is with construc-
tion materials: for efficient design and production one
requires purpose-led concepts and plans. It’s not enough
just to have printing presses and “information highways”
in order to create usable information, the same as con-
struction equipment and building cranes cannot alone
create usable human spaces.
For optimal information creation one requires information
designers the same way architects are required to cre-
ate optimal living and working spaces.
“Users” and “use” as concerns of information designers
and the consequences thereof
In the context of information design, the “user” is some-
one who uses an (information) object, a service or a
system in the framework of an activity in order to carry
out a task. Carrying out an unfamiliar task to achieve
particular objectives can be facilitated by the acquisition
of task-specific information.
The usefulness of information is dependent on:
10 • whether and to what the extent it can broaden the
existing knowledge of a person so that he/she can
make reliable decisions for the accomplishment of
given tasks
• whether the rendering of the information enables
the user to quickly find and to clearly understand the
required information.
The intention of use is an important constituent of this
definition. It implies a predisposition on the part of the
user and is the reason why “creating desire” is not a part
of information design.
say that “a new product should satisfy at reasonable
costs not only the needs of the user, but also those of
the client/producer, and, when applicable, those of the
distributor and retailer. Also the consequences of the
introduction of the product for the environment may play
a role in the development process. From the point of
view of the user this relates to: appropriate pricing, easy
availability, convenience of use, aesthetic appeal, and
safety in disposal.”
To satisfy the information needs of the intended recipi-
ents Information Design must facilitate knowledge trans-
fer within activity systems, overcoming departmental
boundaries and considering all those involved in an infor-
mation chain from creating to using to substituting or
abandoning task-related information.
Optimized knowledge transfer requires optimally
designed task-related information.
Whether information gives rise to an optimal task-related
broadening of the user’s knowledge depends on how
well the content and the design of the information corre-
sponds to his/her needs. 10
The demands on the design of information are:
• content based (specific to the circumstance about
which the person wishes to gain knowledge in order to
make decisions)
• cognitive (specific to the perception, learning and
recall abilities of the person who wishes to use the
information), and
• technical (specific to the information system which
makes the information available).

Depending on the task at hand, the user of information is

an information end-consumer or someone in the informa-
tion chain between information building and the abandon-
ment of the information.

To create satisfaction for all those involved equal atten-

tion needs to be given to the envisioning, planning,
creating, implementing, servicing, using, updating, and
eventual modifying or recycling of information with
respect to a given information system.

Zwaga, Boersema and Hoonhout in the introduction to

their book Visual Information for Everyday Use (12), refer
to “use-centered design”, a term made a subject of dis-
cussion by Flach and Dominiguez (13): “A designer is a
product manager who coordinates the contribution of all
the different experts and is the custodian of the budget
and the time scale.” Flach and Dominiguez continue to
 Professional Practice
Step one of every information design project:
Understanding a given subject matter and its value for a
given user.
The first stage of every information design project
requires the designer to unlock – with an open mind and
open eyes – the information to be designed. The warning
applies: If you don‘t understand it, don‘t design it.
In normal business life understanding the information
11 usually precedes understanding the anticipated
adressees of the information. On occasion this can be
the other way round. Quite certainly, both notions are
closely interlinked.
By becoming familiar with the meaning of the information
and the environments in which it is intended to be pre-
sented the designer also acquires intimate understanding
of the purpose of the information.
Step two:
Understanding the users/addressees of the information
Applying methodical competence
“Once you see or understand something you cannot con-
ceive of what it was like not to have seen or understood
it. You lose the ability to identify with those who don’t
know.” (14)
Information designers are aware of the resulting
dilemma: Understanding of a given subject matter as a
prerequisite of facilitating knowledge transfer is often an
impairment to awareness of the mindset of the intended
recipients of the information.
The acquired methodical competence enables the
information designer to overcome this dilemma and to
design the information in such a way that it facilitates the
accomplishment of the assigned or desired tasks which
– in the long run – helps the user attain defined goals.
Information design project
development
The resulting perfect deal: the expectations of the user
of the information meet the expectations of the provider
of the information and vice versa.
To design and optimize the information, the designer
determines what is critical for a user by observations
(in both controlled laboratory situations and in real
world situations), by interviewing, and by investigations.
Variations of these processes are undertaken depending
on the use of the information.
11
Considering the need to get a clear picture of the most
relevant user requirements, the information designer
often develops scenarios in which virtual “personas”
(= prototype users) perform the tasks the information is
supposed to facilitate. (15)
By doing this the designer becomes critical about the
benchmarks which determine whether a design would be
considered successful or not.
Being aware that tasks never exist in an isolated manner,
that there is always a before and after, the information
designer also considers the activity chains in which the
tasks are performed. Adding a time factor to sce-
nario building, e.g. by introducing the concept of “The
Journey”, developed by Michael Wolff and Wally Olins
(16), it becomes evident that sequences of tasks/activi-
ties must be perceived as processes towards goals of
users/customers within user-orientated task systems.
Step three:
Making a proposal
After steps one and two, the information designer is
ready to make a proposal which outlines the work/
results to be done/achieved, which technical and legal
standards should apply, and how much time and money
this would cost.
This, of course, should result in an assignment.
 Step four:
Designing the information
Practical competence, Six Thinking Hats, and Intuition
As steps one and two were made in a rough mode to
enable the designer to compose a proposal they now
need to be repeated in “quality mode”. Only thereafter
the designer is ready to start with designing the infor-
mation which comprises “the defining, planning, and
shaping of the contents of the message and the environ-
ments in which it is presented”.
Information usually manifests itself in the form of visuals:
no wonder many think that information design equals
visualization and that the education of information
designers equals the education of graphic designers.
This is certainly a good guess which needs to be extend-
ed into other fields of sensory perception and comple-
mented with elements of professional writing, cognitive
and social sciences, knowledge of related legislation
and standards, information and communication technolo-
gies, and business management – to name just the most
important themes. They all constitute the practical com-
petence of an information designer.
When the defining, planning, and shaping of the con-
12 tents of a message and the environments in which it is
presented, with the intention of satisfying the informa-
tion needs of the intended recipients gets exceedingly
complex the information designer applies the method
of the Six Thinking Hats, “an extremely simple thinking
technique based directly on the phenomenon of context,
… providing a tangible way of translating intention into
performance.”
The foremost value of the Six Thinking Hats is that of
defined role-playing. “The hats allow us to think and say
things that we could not otherwise think and say without
risking our egos” says Edward de Bono, author of the
Six Thinking Hats. “There is the white hat for attention to
pure and neutral data. There is the red hat to allow the
input of intuition and feeling without any need for
justification. There is the black hat of the logical nega-
tive, which is caution and points out why something
cannot be done. There is the yellow hat of the logical
positive, which focuses on the benefits and feasibility.
For creative thinking there is the green hat, which calls
for new ideas and further alternatives. Finally there is
the blue hat for process control, which looks not at the
subject but at the thinking about the subject (meta-cogni-
tion).” (17, 18)
Methods like this help a lot but cannot guarantee a posi-
tive outcome. L. Lohr, quoted by R. Pettersson, says:
“Too many factors influence design. That is why it is con-
sidered an art as well as a science.” (19, 20)
Step five:
Evaluating the effectiveness of the designed information
To make sure that the objective of task-related knowl-
edge transfer is attained information designers have a
strong interest in determining whether their information
products yield the desired effect. They know how to
utilize insights of cognitive psychology, to conduct user
interviews, to apply evaluation methods, and how to
interpret results with regard to set benchmarks.
Step six:
Refining and implementing the information
Based on insights gained through testing information
designers optimize their designs to content, consider
alternatives or identify obstacles which they overcome
through a change of directions. They subsequently assist
in the implementation of the design(s) and, if needed,
stand by for adjustments and modifications in response
to changing requirements.
Information design: more than a problem solving activity
When social competence really becomes an issue
If information impacted problems or unspecific informa- 12
tion needs of “users” are in the forefront of an informa-
tion design challenge the subject matter requiring famil-
iarization/analysis, design and evaluation will be much
wider – and deeper too.
Information designers who take an effort in finding out
which contribution information (design) could make to the
improvement of an unsatisfactory situation will be able
to develop innovative concepts beyond “problem-solving”
[problem-solving, according to Edward de Bono, “only
get us back to where we were before”]. (21)
Such concepts always require a technically feasible
match of interests of “problem owners”, information
providers and information users. On a global scale they
might range from the need to successfully fight HIV/AIDS
or to reduce global warming. On a more moderate scale
they might include a strategy to improve living conditions
in a given region.
Here the social dimension of information design core
competencies, Politics, Position, Parsimony, Politeness,
Performance, defined by David Sless as the five Ps (five
essential principles), really become an issue. (22)
 Interactivity as a prerequisite of successful information
systems
Interactivity has to do not only with operating machines
and/or accessing task-relevant information on a screen.
It is basically independent of the question of which of the
media at hand should address to which senses.
Optimizing knowledge transfer is enforced through rapid
and often unforeseeable change of technologies, legisla-
tion, user preferences and responsibilities affecting tasks
to be done. Because of this, traditional evaluation proce-
dures sometimes meet a problem. Whenever they would
need to be repeatedly applied, concerns of time and
money come in. To facilitate the timely adaptation of the
information, it therefore pays to set up interfaces in an
inviting, interactive way. Thus user feed-back will be
generated, enabling constant actualization of the
information and its infrastructure.
By putting effort into the optimization of the design of
information the information designer familiarizes himself/
herself with the given subject matter. He/she endeavors
to optimize information by considering the cognitive and
the technical requirements so that the designed informa-
tion appeals to the senses of the addressees and can
readily be understood. He/she engages in an iterative
process of designing and evaluating and takes precau-
tions to enable the continuous actualization of the infor-
mation through inviting interactive interfaces.
This justifies the conclusion that what really challenges
information designers is the design of information
systems.

3a 3b

13 2a 2b 13

1a 1b

Example 1 (Engineering): Example 2 (Financial information): Example 3 (Public transport):

1a Determining of search criteria concerning 1a Determining of search criteria concerning 1a Determining of passenger categories accord-
elements of a technical system secure types of investment ing to frequency of travels
1b Provision of concrete information on inte- 1b Provision of concrete information on newly 1b Provision of software for the automatic
grated products of various manufacturers issued bonds in foreign currencies calculation of shortest possible connections
2a Information, e.g. on the reliability of control 2a Information, e.g. on the acceptance of Far 2a Information, e.g. concerning the capacity of
elements, determine the purchasing policy, East Bonds determining purchasing policies, certain lines, determine the acceleration pro-
the content of training programmes and the the content of training programmes and the gramme of the transport company but also its
calculation of projects structuring and the visual presentation of advertising
2b Provision of information on control element X customer information 2b Individual calculation of shortest traffic routes
3 Updating of task-relevant information is initi- 2b Provision of information on stock prices, for every single passenger
ated: Reports on accumulating atypical, but transaction fees und agio/disagio on 3 Updating of task-specific information is
critical failures, caused by control element X completion of the purchase, credit, disposition initiated based on complaints about the
3a Determining of linkage between information on 3 Updating of task-relevant information is unfavourable coordination of two lines after
control element X and all its applications initiated: Customer complaints about incom- relocation of stops which results in signifi-
3b Warning notes concerning control element prehensible/incorrect statements of foreign cantly longer journey times for passengers
X along with verbal and pictorial repair currency credit notes who need to change means of transport
instructions 3a Examination of linkage between billing proce- 3a Revision of timetables of the two lines and
4 Feedback generated by users facing problems dures and general information provided on adjustment of the system
understanding/applying information screen and in print as well as customer 3b Apologies to customers via flyers posted at
specific information supplied by the transac- stops giving information on timetable changes
tion profit centre and the now optimized travel times for
3b Instructions to employees and apologies to all transfer passengers.
customers with foreign currency accounts 4 Feedback generated by users facing problems
together with explanations on improved understanding/applying information
statements
4 Feedback generated by users facing problems
understanding/applying information
 Task-related information must also be optimized in an
economically feasible way.
The economic feasibility of information is governed by
considerations of marketing and business management.
They require that information be provided in a pre-struc-
tured manner to enable multipurpose use. Clearly the
costs of individually designed information need to be
restricted to justified individual cases.
Information design is geared to create standards for the
structuring, the design and the use of task-related infor-
mation.
Standards for the structuring, design and use of infor-
mation find their technical analogy in electronically sup-
ported information systems.
Decisions concerning the necessary media mix for
knowledge transfer in a given situation need to be based
on task-specific user requirements. The capabilities
of the media acting together in an information system
depend on the depth, the breadth, the structure and the
required interactivity of the information provided to sup-
port users in a task-specific way.
14
The coaction of specialists in the following fields is
required for the setup of useful information systems:
• information design
• information technology
• software design
• information management.
To do a proper job the information designer needs to be
informed about the core competencies of the coacting
specialists. He/she must be able to explain relevant
concerns in a way suitable to stimulate team members
to work towards adequate solutions. His/her role could
be compared to the one of an architect. Both profes-
sions not only take an interest in formal and esthetic
challenges, but also in meeting all sorts of user needs.
To safeguard optimal results they engage in close coop-
eration with representatives of additional, predominantly
technical disciplines.
(1) Definition of the idX group (2007)
(2) Definition approved/confirmed by the IIID General Assemblies 1993
and 2000
(3) Definition approved/confirmed by the IIID General Assemblies 1993 and
2000, partly amended by using a phrase coined by Rune Pettersson in “It
Depends: ID – Principles and Guidelines”; p 10; (21)
(4) NEWMAN William M., LAMMING Michael G.: Interactive System DESIGN,
p viii; Addison-Weseley, 1995
(5) DAVIDOW William H., MALONE Michael S.: The Virtual Corporation /
Structuring and Revitalizing the Corporation for the 21st Century; Harper
Business; 1993
(6) DE BONO Edward: I am Right – You are Wrong / From this to the new
renaissance: From rock logic to water logic; p 20; Penguin Books, 1990
(7) AMSTUTZ Arnold of Citibank Private Bank referred to this in his presentation
“Customer-driven Design” at the “1996 Strategic Design Conference”, run by
the American Center for Design in Chicago.
Transcript of the presentation from an audio cassette supplied by the ACD
(8) SENECHAL Ann: “It‘s all in the PROCESS”, pp 34; Adobe Magazine,
Spring 1997
(9) Internationale Arbeitskonferenz, 85. Tagung, 1997, Bericht VI (1)
“Vertragsarbeit”, Kapitel II, Internationales Arbeitsamt Genf; S 16: “Das ange-
sprochene Modell des langfristigen Beschäftigungsverhältnisses zwischen
Arbeitgeber und Arbeitnehmer wird gegenwärtig durch vielfältige ‘nichttradi-
tionelle’ oder ‘atypische’ Beschäftigungsformen abgelöst”.
S 17: “Die Spanne reicht dabei von geringqualifizierten Arbeitnehmern,
die traditionell in der Landwirtschaft sowie im Bau- und Transportgewerbe
beschäftigt werden, bis hin zu hochqualifizierten Spezialisten, die Dienste
in Bereichen wie Rechtshilfe, Buchhaltung, Ingenieurtechnik, Werbung, Infor-
mationsanalyse und -verarbeitung usw. erbringen.”
International Labour Conference, 85 Session, 1997, Report VI (1) “Contract
work”, Chapter II, International Labour Organization Geneva; p 16: “The
referred to model of long-term employment relationships between employer
and employee is currently replaced through manyfold ‘non-traditional’ or
‘atypical’ forms of employment”.
p 17: “The span ranges from low qualified employees, who traditionally work
in the building and transport tade to highly qualified specialists in areas like
legal assistance, bookkeeping, engineering, advertising, information analysis
and processing etc.”.
(10) Wiener Zeitung, 2 September 1997; “Synthesis-Studie im Auftrag des AMS: 14
Arbeitsmarkt sehr dynamisch: Jedes dritte Dienstverhältnis wird innerhalb
eines Jahres neu gegründet, nur zwei Drittel der Arbeitnehmer sind im
Jahresverlauf durchgängig beschäftigt. 40% der Arbeitsplatzwechsel sind
auch mit einem Branchenwechsel verbunden.”
“Synthesis study on behalf of AMS: job situation very dynamic: every third
work contract gets newly established during a year, only two thirds of the
employees enjoy continuous employment over the year. 40% of the changes
in employment go hand in hand with a change to another business sector.”
(11) WURMAN Richard Saul: INFORMATIONANXIETY 2, pp 191–198; Que Publishing,
2001
(12) ZWAGA Harm J., BOERSEMA Theo, HOONHOUT Henriëtte, (Editors): Visual
information for everyday use / Design and research perspectives, p xxxi;
Taylor & Francis, 1998
(13) FLACH J. M., DOMINGUEZ C. O.: Use-centered design. Integrating the user,
instrument, and goal. pp 19–24, Ergonomics in Design 3, 1995
(14) WURMAN Richard Saul: INFORMATIONANXIETY 2, p 60; Que Publishing,
2001
(15) COOPER Alan: The Inmates are Running the Asylum / Why High-Tech
Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity, SAMS, 1999
(16) The Wolff Olins Guide to Design Management / Mysteries of Design
Management Reveiled; Wolff Olins, 1984
(17) DE BONO Edward: Six Thinking Hats, Penguin Books, 1990
In German: “Das Sechsfarben-Denken”; ECON Verlag, 1987
(18) DE BONO Edward: I am Right – You are Wrong / From this to the New
Renaissance: from Rock Logic to Water Logic, p 124; Penguin Books, 1991
In German: Der Klügere gibt nicht nach / Vom erstarrten zum fließenden
Denken, ECON Verlag, 1991
(19) LOHR Linda: Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance. Lessons in
Visual Literacy; Pearson Education, Inc., 2003
(20) PETTERSSON Rune: It Depends: ID – Principles and Guidelines;
Second Edition, p 17; Institute for Infology, 2007
PDF version of the book may be downloaded free of charge from
http://www.iiid.net/
(21) DE BONO Edward: I am Right – You are Wrong / From this to the New
Renaissance: from Rock Logic to Water Logic; p 274; Penguin Books, 1991
In German: Der Klügere gibt nicht nach / Vom erstarrten zum fließenden
Denken, ECON Verlag, 1991
(22) SLESS David: Theory for Practice / Theorie für die Praxis; Vision Plus
Monograph 12 E/D; International Institute for Information Design; 1997
 Curriculum

The three-year curriculum presented here is a slightly
modified version of the original four-year course con-
ceived for Technikum Joanneum (now FH Joanneum),
Graz, Austria. ECTS Credits, 30 for each of the six
semesters, were attached, summing up to 180 Credits
altogether for three years of studies.
One semester previously dedicated to an international
internship and another semester set aside for diploma
work have been eliminated. Now summer holidays may
accommodate the internship, and the diploma work is
thought to be done along with lectures and seminars in
the last semester.
Project work makes it possible to convey important con-
tent of teaching and practice in a task-oriented way.
This concerns
• strategies of thinking and creativity
• relevant laws, regulations and standards
• precision in expression and rendering
• adequate to perfect presentation of the results
• practice in native and English language.
Consequently high demands are posed on both students
and faculty.

The curriculum is designed to ensure subject, methodical

and social competencies.

In lectures, tutorials, seminars and project work, stu-

dents are confronted with assignments of increasing
complexity. In the first and second semesters, basic
knowledge is conveyed and skills taught. These are sub-
sequently enriched by specialized knowledge with regard
to business communication, product interface design
and orientation systems.
15 15
Apart from the subjects which determine the above cited
competencies, the curriculum incorporates elements of
General Studies (Studium Generale) which may be
adjusted to newsworthy topics relating to information,
communication, culture, the humanities and economics.

The concluding diploma work, stimulated by suggestions

of consultants to the school, should relate to real-life situ-
ations.

Increasing complexity of project work should concern:

• skills
• media mix and information and communication
technology
• project management
• interaction and evaluation
• sort and size of the respective user group(s).

Ever more complex tasks require that the time frame

allocated for projects gets gradually increased.
 1st Semester: Basics I is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Factual knowledge is, 1 Credit is, 1 Credit le, 1 Credit

le, 2 Credits
Material I
Information carriers, surface
protection, finishing
le, 2 Credits
Reproduction techniques
Reproduction and printing
methods, electronic informa-
tion presentation
Conceptual knowledge
User-related design I
Requirements of inclusive
design / universal design
/ design for all, usability,
methodical procedures
se, 1 Credit
Professional writing I
Rules: text basics, text analy-
sis, text research
Psychology of listening
and speaking
Learning to understand what
matters; formulating and ques-
tioning assignments;
interdependencies and com-
petencies (responsibilities);
recognizing social hierarchies;
determining human needs;
proposing arguments, sifting
out business needs; bringing
it “to the point”; dealing with
objections, formulating results
Art and design
Including history of information
design – from hieroglyphics to
ISO 7001
is, 1 Credit
Handwriting
Visual communication
with Latin, Cyrillic and
Far Eastern scripts

le, 2 Credits se, 2 Credits

Information design I General English I
Areas of competence for infor-
mation designers; information is, 1 Credit
systems, information process- Social context of informa-
es, cognitive basis of informa- tion
tion design: perception, recog- Cultures and traditions/con-
nition, understanding, learning, ventions, determining aims
remembering; Language; and objectives of activities,
writing, image, colour, texture, priorities in decision making
16 16
sound, smell; metaphors; and knowledge needed to
informational drawing perform

le, 2 Credits
Typography
Writing and writing systems,
typeface and font formats,
appropriate typeface choice;
specifying type; readability
criteria; typographic systems,
static and dynamic applica-
tions, typographic hierarchy

is, 1 Credit
Technical drawing
Presentation methods
and conventions

is, 3 Credits
Hard- and software I
Word processing, raster and
vector image creation tools,
office programmes, databases

is, 10 Credits
Project work I
Projects of 2 to 4 days with regard to subsequent standards
• Skills: describe and explain content and processes; photography, sketch, draw
• Media mix and IT: interpersonal and print communication
• Project management: problem analysis and re-design
• Interaction and evaluation: subjective judgement
Target group: the individual students themselves
 2nd Semester: Basics II is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Factual knowledge le, 2 Credits is, 1 Credit le, 1 Credit

le, 1 Credit
Material II
Binding and packaging infor-
mation carriers, building and
attaching displays, developing
and mounting sign systems
le, 1 Credit
Ergonomics
Sensory capacity, vision
geometry, ergonomic product
design (epd), setting- and
adjustment controls, office
ergonomics, light and lighting
Conceptual knowledge
is, 4 Credits
Hard- and Software II
Scripting and programming
17
Information Design II
Successful thinking; structur-
ing and analysing information,
developing goal-oriented
creativity; reducing object-
oriented information to the
basic characteristic features;
developing symbols and icons;
communication with words,
pictures, sounds
se, 3 Credits
User-related Design II
Qualitative aspects of interac-
tive systems in view of usabili-
ty; requirements of user-based
interface design; researching;
interviewing methods
se, 1 Credit
Professional Writing II
Textual rhetoric: word, phrase,
rhythm, dialogue, image/text
relationships
Discussion and
negotiation management
Criteria for invitation and
agenda-creation; organizing
meetings and conferences;
time control
se, 2 Credits
General English II
Global Trends I
Population growth, nutrition,
water, energy, waste, trans-
port, environmental implica-
tions, education, standards of
living
le, 1 Credit
Technology and
Media Theory I
Medialization as individual his-
tory; the influence of technical
media on the perception of
reality; the medialization of
reality with the emergence
of new interacting parallel
worlds; the biological, the
technical, the virtual, the
spiritual
17

is, 1 Credit
Exhibition Didactics
Goals and strategies for exhi-
bitions; exhibition communica-
tion, project management incl.
evaluation and feedback; use
of AV and multi-media tech-
nologies

is, 1 Credit
Exhibition Design

se, 1 Credit
Professional Practice

is, 16 Credits
Project work II
Projects of 3 to 20 days with regard to requirements in addition to Project work I
• Skills: + structuring information in area and space; tabular comparison; diagrammatic presentation of situations and processes;
interviewing; production of working models and samples; production of working drawings
• Media mix and IT: + poster, display, packaging
• Project management: + briefing, design and motivation report
• Interaction and evaluation: + structured user interviews
Target group: a manageable group of people to which the students themselves belong
Internship I: 6 weeks in summer
 3rd Semester: Specialist Expertise I is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Factual knowledge is, 2 Credits se, 2 Credits le, 1 Credit

le, 1 Credit
Material III
Materials for designing with
light: glass, acrylic, poly-
carbonates, etc., as well as
translucent, light-transmitting
and radiating materials, such
as solf, lisa, etc.
Conceptual knowledge
is, 4 Credits
Hard- and Software III
Software and tools for
visualization and animation (I)
le, 2 Credits
Business Communication
and Computer Science for
Economics
Introduction to marketing
practice, sales, production,
18 financing, business information
systems, facility management,
internet, intranet
is, 2 Credits
Multimedia Production I
Photography, video, audio
and CD-rom production; story-
boarding, post-production,
video editing
is, 1 Credit
Multimedia Art I
Medial appearance and
presentation methods, multi-
media screening, information
aesthetics, practice-based
implementation
Information Design III Professional English I Market Economy
Corporate personality, corpo- Covering basic needs, stimu-
rate identity, corporate design; lating needs; regionalism/
visual rhetoric globalism
is, 3 Credit le, 1 Credit
User-related Design III Technology and
Usability engineering (I): analy- Media Theory II
sis; user involvement; generat- Medialization as individual his-
ing and evaluating feedback; tory; the influence of media on
assignment modelling; cultural, social, political, eco-
usability criteria; prototyping nomic and societal change.
se, 1 Credit
Professional Writing III
Text-practice: grammar, style,
speech and text categories;
technical report writing; outlin-
ing, abstract, key words,
literature quotation, images
and image legends, footnotes
le, 1 Credit
Project Management 18
Briefing, cost estimating,
specification (technical
description, performance
index), order placement, imple-
mentation supervision, invoice
control, copyright (rights of
use) control
le, 1 Credit
Standards in information,
communication and docu-
mentation
International and national stan-
dards, conventions, legislation
and directives; general and
specific requirements of infor-
mation design subject areas,
standards and conventions in
everyday life

is, 16 Credits
Project work III
Projects of 8 to 30 days with regard to requirements in addition to Project work I and II
• Skills: + designing information with regard to attractiveness and appropriateness to content
• Media mix and IT: + special effects
• Project management: + specification for implementation and cost estimating
• Interaction and evaluation: + iterative testing and designing
Target group: a manageable group of people to which the students themselves do not belong
 4th Semester: Specialist Expertise II is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Factual knowledge is, 3 Credits se, 2 Credits le, 1 Credit

le, 1 Credit
Dynamic Displays
Conceptual knowledge
is, 3 Credits
Hard- and Software IV
Software and tools for
visualization & animation (II)
le, 2 Credits
Orientation Systems
User needs/demands; type-
faces for display, public sym-
bols, colour-coding; interior
and exterior size relationships;
demands on maps and transit
diagrammes
is, 3 Credits
Multimedia Production II
Photo-, video-, audio- and
19 CD-rom production; story-
boarding, post-production,
video editing
Information Design IV Professional English II Technology and
Visualizing flow and process; Media Theory III
diagrammes and tables; fun- Functionality of technical
damentals of statistics; sound media in the building of net-
design; design methods and worked structures; medialized
processes communication among work
areas, education and leisure
is, 3 Credits and the transdisciplinary
User-related Design IV between science and art
Usability engineering (II): evalu-
ation; statistical criteria; demo-
graphic methods; implementa-
tion; feedback to analysis
se, 2 Credits
Professional Writing IV
Hypertext practice
se, 1 Credit
Professional Practice
Seminar
19

is, 1 Credit
Multimedia Art II
Medial appearance and
presentation methods, multi-
media screening, information
aesthetics, practice-based
implementation

is; 8 Credits
Project work IV
Projects of 3 to 6 weeks with regard to requirements additional to Project work I to III
• Skills: + designing dynamic, sequential and sound-supported information
• Media mix and IT: + “New Media” (stand-alone solutions)
• Project management: + Teamwork
• Interaction and evaluation: + integrated feedback/ self-actualization
Target group: anonymous addressees within a defined region
Internship II: 6 weeks in summer
 5th Semester: Specialist Expertise III is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Conceptual knowledge is, 4 Credits se, 2 Credits se, 1 Credit

is, 2 Credits
Hard- and Software V
Operating Systems; platform
guidelines and corporate style
guides; design manuals
le, 2 Credits
Electronic Publishing
Mark-up languages
User-related Design IV Successful Negotiating Global Trends II
User manuals and help Focus on Conflicts: Military
systems se, 2 Credits trends, poverty, clash of
Professional English III economies, migration, ageing
is, 3 Credits Professional meetings populations, global warming
Multimedia and Web
Authoring Systems se, 1 Credit
Quality and Innovation
le, 1 Credit The True, the Good, the
Web Engineering Beautiful; stable and unstable
Implementation of web appli- values: reflections on religion,
cations economy and the stock
market; conservation versus
se, 1 Credit throw-away mentality; innova-
Professional Practice tion in electronics; quality and
Seminar
ever-shorter life cycles

20 20

is, 11 Credits
Project work V
Projects of 1 to 2 months with requirements additional to Project work I to IV
• Skills: + designing information for the Internet
• Media mix and IT: + “New Media” (networked)
• Project management: + estimation of expected work and costs involved, supervision, post-calculation
• Interaction and evaluation: + use of statistical criteria
Target group: anonymous addressees worldwide
 6th Semester: Specialist Expertise IV is: integrated seminar; se: seminar; pr: practice; le: lecture;
Credits = ECTS European Credit Transfer System Credits

Practical competence Methodical competence Social competence General studies

Conceptual knowledge is, 1 Credit se, 2 Credits se, 2 Credits

le, 2 Credits
Introduction to Information
Network Technologies
The PC as communication
machine: LAN-Internet-working
and Intranet; WAN-infrastruc-
ture (‘lines’, multiplexers, SDH/
PDH), ISDN, branch installa-
tions, telephony applications,
broadband technologies (from
frame-relay to ATM); aspects
of telecommunications law
is, 2 Credits
Hard- and Software VI
Update: word-processing,
drawing, painting and office
programmes; databases;
scripting and programming;
authoring: overview of EU and
other research initiatives.
21
Presentation techniques Professional English IV Consumer requirements
Project work and presentation Project-based investigations
le, 2 Credits into cultural differences
Professional Practice
Code of Conduct; things and se, 2 Credits
behaviours which make the Research & Development
designer [look] smart: tools Opportunities in R&D, national
of the trade, professional and international research
behaviour and etiquette; the programmes, managing R&D
five principles of information projects, interdisciplinary
design: Politics, Position, cooperation, cost-models,
Parsimony, Politeness, budgeting, interim-financing,
Performance; office organiza- reporting
tion and starting a business;
quality assurance; copyright
and trade mark protection
is, 2 Credits
Specifying and Cost
Accounting
Specifying, fixed and variable
costs, cost estimating, control
and verification, settlement of
accounts, taxes and duties
21
se, 3 Credits
Degree Seminar

is, 12 Credits
Project work VI
Projects of 1.5 to 3 months including degree work with requirements additional to Project work I to V
• Skills: + designing coherent multimedia information
• Media mix and IT: + 3D + product interaction
• Project management: + user manuals and help systems
• Interaction and evaluation: + use of demographic methods
Target group: specialists in a defined field
 Project work
Increasing complexity with regard to
Skills
1st Semester Describe and explain content and
processes; sketching, drawing, photo-
graphing
2nd Semester + Structuring information (2D and 3D);
making tabular information com-
parable; presentation of content
and processes using diagrammes;
interviewing; production of working
models and samples; production of
working drawings
3rd Semester + Designing information with regard to
attractiveness and appropriateness
to content
22
4th Semester + Designing dynamic, sequential and
sound-supported information
5th Semester + Designing information
for Internet presentation
6th Semester + Designing coherent
multimedia information
Media mix and IT
Interpersonal and print com-
munication
+ Poster, display, packaging
+ Special effects
+ New media, stand-alone
+ New media, networked
+ 3D
+ Product interaction
Project management Interaction and evaluation Social and economic relevance Examples Duration
Problem analysis Subjective judgement for the individual student 1.1 Secure bursary 2–4 days
and redesign 1.2 Find the way from the train station
to your new apartment
1.2.1 via public transport
1.2.2 on foot
1.3 Rent a car, use it, return it
+ Briefing + Structured user interviews for a manageable group of 2.1 Find detailed information 3–20 days
+ Design people to which the students for a pre-determined assignment
+ Motivation report themselves belong 2.1.1 from Consumer information office
2.1.2 in the university library
2.1.3 over the Internet
2.2 First Aid
2.2.1 rescue / call emergency
2.2.2 bandage according to rescue instructions
2.2.3 hospital visit
2.2.4 organize insurance claim
2.3 Public presentation of finished work
2.3.1 design of an exhibition
2.3.2 explanation of the work
2.3.3 encourage and evaluate feedback
2.3.4 determine needs for next year’s presentation
+ Specification for Implementation + Iterative testing and for a manageable group of 3.1 City map for the handicapped 8–30 days
+ Cost estimating designing people to which the students (with accessible locations marked)
22 themselves do not belong 3.1.1 design 23
23
3.1.2 evaluate and publicize
3.2 Babysitting co-operative
3.2.1 explain
3.2.2 publicize
3.3 Car-sharing project
3.3.1 explain
3.3.2 publicize
3.3.3 operate
+ Project work in teams + Integrated feedback for anonymous addressees 4.1 Applying for legal design protection 3–6 weeks
within a defined region Interactive user instructions using three
designs from the 3rd semester as examples
4.2 Interactive study guide
4.3 Interactive city information guide
and orientation system
+ Estimation of expected work and + Use of statistical criteria for anonymous addressees 5.1 Design own home page 1–2 months
costs involved world-wide 5.2 Surgeon-general’s health recommendations
+ accompanying control (to be realised employing push-media)
+ post-mortem calculation 5.3 Internet Information system
(e.g. Salzkammergut)
+ Manual and help system + Demoscopic methods for experts of a defined 7.1 Multimedia exhibition system 1,5–3 months
professional group (visitor-oriented guide system)
7.2 Externally-defined project
(e.g.: development of an information system
for motor testing)
7.2.1 Sales papers
7.2.2 Manual
7.2.3 Help system
7.3 Business start-up via Internet
 The birth of the virtual Information Design University
Lennart Strand, Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer
Department of Innovation, Design and Product Development, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden
IDU is an international
online university in infor-
mation design, that is
under development by
Mälardalen University
in Sweden for the
International Institute for
Information Design, IIID.
Eventually IDU, through
24 various universities, will
offer a variety of courses
in information design at
various levels for students
all over the world.
Presently IDU offers
only courses through
Mälardalen University.
IDU also offers a vir-
tual library from where
research reports, confer-
ence papers, and various
material/writings about
information design can be
downloaded.
The virtual Information Design University, IDU, is a result
of discussions within the International Information Design
community, IIID, on how to develop a unified base for
teaching information design.
The idea is to create an international online university
in information design with participation of a number of
universities in various countries; where each university
will offer specialties at various levels in the subject area.
Hereby students from everywhere may be able to pick
courses from a smorgardsbord of interesting information
design courses; ideally in the future students may be
able to put together enough courses to get an under-
graduate degree, and/or a Master degree in informa-
tion design. To be discussed with interested parties are
administration and examination procedures.
24
By sharing a base for teaching the international informa-
tion design community will have a “carrot” and an arena
for cooperation, exchange of students and faculty, and
sharing of ideas.
The plan is also that IDU will have a virtual library from
where various conference papers, other papers, and
PhD-dissertations can be downloaded for free. Already
uploaded is “Selected readings”, a PDF-file with 25
research papers by Rune Pettersson, Professor of
Information Design at Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna,
Sweden.
The IDU has already started – on a modest scale in
January this year, 2007, with a few students, with the
course Information Design – Information Graphics, lead
by Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer Lennart Strand at
Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Participating
students came from USA and Austria.
The course was given online during ten weeks, where
students were asked to write a module report every
other week, and an essay for final individual work.
Students shared each others reports, and a chat session
took place every other week in an exchange of research
findings and ideas.
IIID Partner Universities are invited to enhance the value
of the IDU by contributing educational units.
 A few comments about the course from students:

Student 1)
“As this course can be seen as some kind of self-study it is a good way to learn not
only about design matters but also about self-discipline, organizing deadlines as well
as research. I think, by doing this “investigation into design“ on your own, you learn
probably more than theoretical lectures on this topic can teach you – no offence to the
lecturers! – because you have to look into the subject as opposed to just absorb the
information by listening.
I think the climate within the class was very good – there was a good information
exchange and the annotation on the reports went very well (this helped me a lot
especially on how to write reports, how to reference things and how to back up
theories – which was my biggest lack, I would say). As I need these particular skills
soon for my diploma thesis, I appreciated this class a lot. Also the whole system of the
reports due every second week and the seminars in between works very well. There‘s
enough time to prepare and do research.”
25 25
Student 2)
“As the first online class that I have taken, I was very comfortable with the format,
which included: online chat discussions, E-mail discussions, self-study assignments
posted to the bulletin board, peer review comments, and podcast lectures. I appreci-
ated the free PDF articles, a comprehensive book list, and recommendations for web-
sites to study and discuss. The syllabus was well thought out and organized and the
topics were interesting to study. I liked the format for modules, allowing 2 weeks for
each, one for a report and the other for the online discussion.
I did have a hard time getting motivated for the class since coordinating the timing of
the class was difficult.”

Comments from Lennart Strand:

“My experience, which has been confirmed by other teachers that work with distance
learning (including Maria D. Avgerinou, Associate Professor at DePaul University,
Chicago, USA, and Rune Pettersson, Professor of Information Design at Mälardalen
University in Sweden), is that distance learning call for intensive attention, especially in
the beginning of a course and during chat sessions; it’s needed to make people feel
like they are part of a group that work together, that they have the same goal, and that
they will learn from each other.”

This is the web page to IDU: http://www.idp.mdh.se/idu/

About Lennart Strand:

Lennart Strand has a long background in journalism, as a writer and graphic designer.
Today he teaches information design, information graphics and graphic design at
Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
He is co-author of a book about information design (Bild & form för informations-design),
and together with professor Rune Pettersson, Mälardalen University, co-author of
several research papers. Lennart Strand is presently working on educational projects.
Since 2007 he is IIID President Elect.
E: lennart.strand@mdh.se
 Special Interest Group (SIG) for Information Design Educators
under the auspices of the International Institute for Information Design (IIID).
Information design education – whole programs, dedi-
cated courses, specific projects and assignments – is
growing worldwide. More and more individual design
faculty are recognizing the impact of information design
on their disciplines and have developed courses on infor-
mation design. More and more universities and colleges
are investing in information design programs or tracks
and are supporting collaborative research initiatives that
incorporate information design. And more and more
university design position announcements seek faculty
whose areas of expertise includes information design.
Faculty and institutions of higher education are recog-
nizing the need to teach students how to organize and
visualize information as technology continues to provide
more opportunities for people to get and exchange infor-
mation (internet web browsers and search engines, GPS
26 devices, podcasts, to name just a few). The importance
of designing from the perspective of the people who
must get and use specific information is gaining ground
in academia.
With so many information design programs, courses,
and projects happening all over the world, the value
of a SIG that serves the needs of information design
educators is increasingly clear. Such a SIG can help set
standards for information design education and provide
support for and networking between information design
faculty. Through this SIG, educators could learn from one
another’s experiences – the successes and non-success-
es, the obstacles and opportunities – at their respective
institutions. The SIG would be a conduit for faculty to
connect with one another for joint research projects, stu-
dent and faculty exchanges, and curriculum development
(e.g., online courses that could be taken by students at
a variety of institutions).
Locating this SIG within IIID makes sense because IIID is
an international information design advocacy organiza-
tion and has already demonstrated a commitment to
information design education. IIID created a board posi-
tion dedicated to education and has been the European
lead institution in a US/EC FIPSE grant about information
design education that supported the exchange of faculty
and students and the development of an international
core educational competencies.
The SIG could encourage faculty in their respective
countries to collaborate in addressing curriculum devel-
opment. The SIG could also foster the same attitude
among information design faculty at the state or
province level.
The IIID education chair and two other educators repre-
senting different areas of the world would serve as the
advisory committee of the SIG. While each member of
the SIG would share in the operation of the SIG, the advi-
sory committee would serve as the coordinating point
for ideas, contacts, and activities.
Thus the purpose of the SIG would be to
1. help set standards for information design education
worldwide
2. serve as a forum for information design educators
3. connect information design faculty with one another in
order to 26
– share experiences at their respective institutions
– develop and participate in joint research projects
– enable faculty and student exchanges
– collaborate on class projects
– develop joint online courses
– support curriculum development at current affiliated
institutions
– support initiatives for information design education
at additional institutions
4. foster curriculum coordination between institutions
within their respective countries
5. foster curriculum coordination between institutions at
the state or province level
6. sponsor a conference on information design educa-
tion every 3–5 years
The SIG for information design educators was inaugurat-
ed on 6 July 2007 at the IIID Vision Plus 12 Symposium
at Schwarzenberg, Vorarlberg, Austria
Information design educators applying for IIID member-
ship may at the same time sign up for the SIG (page 31).
Prof. Lennart Strand (Mälardalen University, Sweden)
E: lennart.strand@mdh.se
Prof. Rune Pettersson (Mälardalen University, Sweden):
E: runepe@telia.com
Prof. Judith Moldenhauer (Wayne State University, USA)
E: judith.moldenhauer@gmail.com
 IIID Partner Universities (IIID Institutional Members)

Asia Europe North America

National Institute of Design Coventry University Arizona State University

Information & Digital Design School of Art and Design College of Design
Ahmedabad, IND Coventry, GB Tempe, USA
www.nid.edu www.coventry.ac.uk www.asu.edu

De Montfort University Carnegie Mellon University

Faculty of Art, Design and School of Design
Architecture Pittsburgh, USA
Leicester, GB www.design.cmu.edu
www.dmu.ac.uk
Carnegie Mellon University
The University of Reading Software Engineering Institute
Department of Typography and Pittsburgh, USA
Graphic Communication www.sei.cmu.edu
Reading, GB
www.rdg.ac.uk/typography Rochester Institute of Technology
School of Design
Mälardalen University Rochester, USA
Department of Innovation www.rit.edu
Design and Product Development
Eskilstuna, S University of Idaho
www.idp.mdh.se/eng/id Department of Art and Design
College of Letters, Arts and Social
Den Grafiske Højskole Sciences
27
Copenhagen, DK Moscow, USA 27
www.dgh.dk www.uidaho.edu

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Wayne State University

Faculty of Art and Design
Weimar, D
www.uni-weimar.de/cms/en/
universitaet/faculty-of-art-and-
design.html
Hochschule der Medien
Studiengang Informationsdesign
Stuttgart, D
http://www.hdm-stuttgart.de/idb
Freie Kunstschule für Gestaltung
Ravensburg e. V.
Schule für Gestaltung
Ravensburg, D
www.sfg-ravensburg.de
Department of Art and Art History
Detroit, USA
www.art.wayne.edu/
University of Alberta
Department of Art and Design
Edmonton, CDN
www.ualberta.ca/ARTDESIGN
York University
Department of Design
Toronto, CDN
http://design.yorku.ca

Donau-Universität Krems
Department für Wissens- und
Kommunikationsmanagement
Krems, A
www.donau-uni.ac.at/wuk

FH Joanneum
Studiengang Informations-Design
Graz, A
http://informations-design.fh-
joanneum.at
 The International Institute for Information Design (IIID)

was founded to develop research and practice in optimizing information and information systems
for knowledge transfer in everyday life, business, education and science.

IIID is recommended by
UNESCO as a partner
organization for world wide
co-operation on matters
of information design
(Resolution 4.9 of the 28th
General Conference of
UNESCO, 1995, Paris).
IIID is affiliated to the
International Council of
Graphic Design Associations
(ICOGRADA) and cooperates
with a number of other
national and international
organizations interested in
28 information design.
The main concern of the International Institute for Information Design is to con-
tribute to a better understanding within the human community with respect to
cultural and economic issues by means of improved visual and other than visual
communication.
Special attention is paid to the potential of graphic information design to over-
come both social and language barriers.
IIID endeavours
• to develop information design as an independent interdisciplinary field of
knowledge and professional practice,
• to document and to make generally accessible specifically relevant
information,
• to carry out research within its possibilities and in co-operation with its
members and
• to find new ways of educating information designers.
28
The aims of the IIID are to be achieved by interdisciplinary and international
co-operation. Thus IIID has established links to renowned universities, research
laboratories and design companies.

IIID is supported by the Institute for Information Design Japan (IIDj), founded by
the Vision Plus 7 organizing committee in 2002. www.iidj.net
 IIID Board and Director

President Prof. Robert O. Swinehart, School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA (USA)

President Elect Prof. Lennart Strand, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna (S)

Past President Prof. Erik Spiekermann, SpiekermannPartners AG

Berlin (D), London (GB), San Francisco, CA (USA)

Vice Presidents Prof. David Sless, Communication Research Institute Limited

Fitzroy North, Melbourne (AUS)

Charles Wesley Ervin, Health Care District of Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach, FL (USA)

Treasurer Veronika Egger, is design, Wien/Vienna (A)

Rapporteur Kelley Gottschang, Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor MI (USA)

Board Members Gordon Akwera, Addison, New York NY (USA)

29 Giuseppe Attoma, Attoma Design, Paris (F) 29

Prof. Konrad Baumann, FH Joanneum, Graz (A)

Prof. Madeleine Bujatti, Graphic Designer, Graz (A);

University of Applied Sciences Augsburg (D)

Martin Foessleitner, High-Performance, Wien/Vienna (A)

Prof. Judith Moldenhauer, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (USA)

Prof. Roger Remington, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY (USA)

Prof. Clive Richards, Coventry University (GB);

President CSD Chartered Society of Designers

Andreas Schneider, International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, Gifu (J);
IIDj Institute for Information Design Japan, Tokyo (J)

Rupesh Vyas, NID National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (IND)

Karel van der Waarde, Van der Waarde Design Research, Elewijt (B)

Director Peter Simlinger, Simlinger Informations-Design GmbH, Wien/Vienna (A)

 IIID Membership

The continued dedication of IIID members enables the Institute to perform and
to continually enhance the scope of its activities.

In particular, IIID members enjoy the following privileges:

• IIID members are part of the Institute‘s global network of information design
experts and practitioners. Members may take advantage of this opportunity
for establishing business relations, exchanging and discussing their opinions,
research and design experience.

• IIID members may actively participate in ongoing IIID initiatives focusing on

transport guiding systems and public transport information as well as on sub-
ject matters under development like financial information, tourist information
and manual design. Educators may cooperate in the Special Interest Group
(SIG) for information design eductaors.

30 • IIID members may profit from participating in IIID events, some of which are 30
offered at a reduced rate or free of charge to members.

• IIID partner universities may contribute to the Information Design University

(IDU) under development by Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.

• IIID members receive regular mailings. Readers get informed about the
Institute‘s events and activities. Related symposia, conferences and design
competitions which are of interest to information designers are included.
Newly published or especially interesting publications in the field are cited.

• The IIID mailings may be a valuable resource for members for posting
advertisements free of charge.

• IIID members are granted a discount on the IDJ / Information Design Journal
published by John Benjamins Publishing Co., Amsterdam. The IDJ is the only
scientific journal with a focus on information design.

• More about IIID can be found at www.iiid.net.

 Internationales International
Institut für Institute for
Informations- Information
Design Design

T: +43 (0)1 4036662 F: +43 (0)1 4036662-15 E: info@iiid.net

International Institute for Information Design (IIID) Membership Application

Peter Simlinger, Director
Palffygasse 27/17
1170 Wien/Vienna
Austria
Europe

Designer Educator Student other:

Institution (other than School/University) School/University

Indi- Family name: First names: Affixes:

vidual Ms Mr

Insti- Institution:
tutional

Contact person Family name: First names: Affixes:

Ms Mr

Address:

Telephone: Fax:

E-mail: Website:
31 31

Annual Individual Membership: EUR 100 + one-time registration fee EUR 10 = EUR 110
Fees
Educators' Membership: EUR 50 (please attach proof of status)
Students' Membership: EUR 20 (please attach proof of status)
Individual Membership for employee of IIID Institutional/School/University Member: EUR 20
Institutional Membership: EUR 500
Institutional Membership for Schools/Universities: EUR 200

Payment* (in case of giro money transfer: please print your name in capitals separately on pay-in slip):
in EURO (EUR) to Bank Austria, Vordere Zollamtsstr. 13, P.O. Box 35, 1011 Wien/Vienna, Austria;
IBAN: AT77 1200 0006 9710 1509, BIC: BKAUATWW (Account No. 697101509, Bank Code 12000)
VISA
Credit card I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I Expiry date I___I___I___I___I
MasterCard
Name on Card:

* To avoid high bank charges payment is accepted only by credit card and giro money transfer.

Accept me as a member of the Special Interest Group (SIG) Please refer information on IIID also to:
for Information Design Educators

I agree that my name, address, and fields of interest are electro-

nically stored, processed and retrieved by IIID for communicati-
on purposes in accordance with the aims of IIID.

Date Signature

07.08
International Institute for Information Design
ZVR-ZAHL: 268305057
Palffygasse 27/17, 1170 Wien/Vienna, Austria, Europe
T: +43 (0)1 4036662; F: +43 (0)1 4036662-15
E: info@iiid.net
www.iiid.net

Medieninhaber: Internationales Institut für Informations-Design (IIID), Palffygasse 27/17, 1170 Wien; Redaktion: DI Peter Simlinger für IIID, Anschrift wie vor.
Hersteller: Gröbner Druckgesellschaft m.b.H., 7400 Oberwart. 2007-08.